Amherst College

Date: Apr 25 2011
Major: Psychology (This Major's Salary over time)
IF you take advantage of the opportunities at AC, this is a truly challenging school. Students tend to take on a ton of extracurriculars, and most challenge themselves academically (there is a range of course difficulty as at any college). At times I was overwhelmed, but it made me a better person to be surrounded by incredible students and supportive professors. The faculty and administration went WAY above the call of duty for me; I've been out to drinks with profs, over to their houses for dinner, they've called friends to hook me up with opportunities, etc. I felt so close to some them after my years at school that I invited three to my graduation dinner (otherwise, it was just immediate family and my boyfriend). The connections I made are also already proving valuable. Amherst is really an

ask and you shall receive

institution.

For the most part, the facilities and dorms are phenomenal. My parents joke that I went to school at a country club. The science building itself could use a little work (they are replacing it within the next couple years) but I can't say enough good things about the professors and opportunities (to do research, etc.) in the science departments.

There are a lot of opportunities to drink. I had a wonderful time socially, but it can be difficult to balance times to de-stress with the tidal waves of school work. Overall, I liked my classmates, and was often surprised by their range of interests and talents. It certainly helps to be outgoing here, because many students are kind of shy (which could be mistaken as cold, but these students are usually VERY appreciative of invitations and genuine friendliness). I would also recommend making the extra effort to befriend 5-college students in your classes and at parties.

Not the biggest fan of the weather. The dining hall food is also relatively mediocre but improving dramatically each year (also, there is a co-op on campus that cooks its own food, and you can live there if you really aren't satisfied…)

I just wanted to note that the negative comments seem to be from non-Amherst students who may have had ONE bad experience for whatever reason. I'm really happy I went to AC and proud of myself for taking a challenging route and coming out on top.